The Nepal Chronicles #1

March 2, 2021…

For the next couple of weeks I will be blogging on Facebook about a trip that I have been planning the day I turned 65, which was about a year ago. I am heading to Everest Base Camp and hoping to celebrate my 66th there.

I got the all clear from my amazing wife and life partner, Marjan Saghafi Shallal, whose only advice was telling me to make sure I enjoy every minute of my time there and that things will be fine while I’m gone.

  • 155410149 10157981377627555 2963121871354563112 o
  • 156101519 10157981377592555 8987350301097127048 o
  • 156568163 10157981377587555 5730218669253196321 o

Right now I am at an almost empty Dulles Airport about to depart to Kathmandu in about 2 hours. This is my first flight since the pandemic and it feels a bit eerie.

I will begin my trek as soon as I am cleared of covid restrictions which should take a couple of days after arriving in Kathmandu. The trek is one of the most iconic in the world. It traverses 130km (~80 miles) and elevation change of 5500 meters ending at the base of Mount Everest where the more experienced mountain climbers head to the summit. I will merely be standing next to them soaking their excitement, taking a selfie or two and gazing at the snow covered peaks in the distance. It will take about 10 days or so to do the entire route round trip starting at a little town called Lukla that sits on a cliff and has a tiny strip of an airport runway. It is euphemistically referred to as “the most dangerous airport in the world”. For someone who fears heights, that’s going to be my first and possibly my biggest challenge.

I will be hiking alone with a local guide. I will be staying in tea houses, eating local food and completely immersed in the local culture. Internet and electricity will be limited throughout but I am told there is some. Hope you stay tuned!

Off to Doha – Namaste!

The Making of Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

PALESTINE WEEK 1920 x 1080 px 2

Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

allarefree

Happy Fourth of July.

A message from Busboys and Poets Founder, Andy Shallal Happy Fourth of July. My family moved to this country in 1966 when I was 10. I know the decision to pull up roots from our homeland in Iraq and replant them in a place that was unfamiliar was not an easy one. Like so many … Continued

AndyShallal PeaceandStruggle

Everest Base Camp #9

Quaint is the word. I am starving. The lack of sleep and exhaustion makes me famished. To my surprise, the menu at this tea house (as in every tea house along the route I come to learn) looks like any roadside diner along I-95 South. It’s even laminated. The only thing missing was, the “hi … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Literary Resolutions for 2018

Busboys and Poets Books Literary Resolutions for 2018

Check out how the staff of Busboys and Poets Books anticipate spending 2018 (hint: it involves a lot of reading). Kris, Book Events Manager: “Last year my literary resolution was to read one book a week, for 52 books. I met that goal earlier this month (ending the year with 58!) so for 2018, I’m … Continued

Busboys in En Route Traveler

Busboys in En Route Traveler

“Part of the reason why I founded this place was that I wanted a space that feels like home away from home, a space that represents the multi-cultural, multi ethnic, multi-racial, and multi-age aspects of the city, a space that represents the city that I live in – Washington, DC.” – Andy Shallal